Managing the environmental configuration for an application disposed in removable storage

Abstract

A method, system and apparatus for managing environmental configuration for removable storage. A removable storage configured to store at least one host application installation for one or more host computing systems can include a service registry module (SRM) configured to store environmental configuration data for an application installed in the removable storage. The removable storage further can include an SRM utility programmed to manage access to the SRM for the installed application through access requests received in a coupled one of the host computing systems. The SRM utility can be further programmed to write environmental configuration data to the SRM for a new application when the new application is installed in the removable storage.

1 . A method of managing environmental configuration data for an application disposed in removable storage, the method comprising the steps of: 
 intercepting a request to access environmental configuration data disposed in a host computing system;    retrieving environmental configuration data disposed in the removable storage; and,    satisfying said request using both environmental configuration data disposed in said host computing system and said retrieved environmental configuration data disposed in the removable storage.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: 
 further intercepting a request to install an application to the removable storage;    yet further intercepting a request to write environmental configuration data to a registry in said host computing system in association with said further intercepted request; and,    causing the removable storage to write said environmental configuration data associated with said further intercepted request to a registry disposed in the removable storage.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of responsive to coupling the removable storage device to said host computing system, retrieving environmental configuration data associated with applications disposed in the removable storage device and applying said retrieved environmental configuration data to a configuration of said host computing system.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising the step of responsive to decoupling the removable storage device from said host computing system, removing from said host computing system, environmental configuration data associated with applications disposed in the removable storage device and which had been applied to said configuration of said host computing system.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said satisfying step comprises the step of including said retrieved environmental configuration data disposed in the removable storage in a registry lookup operation in said host computing system.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said satisfying step comprises the step of writing changes to environmental configuration data associated with applications disposed in the removable storage to a registry disposed in the removable storage.  
     
     
         7 . A removable storage configured to store at least one host application installation for a plurality of host computing systems, the removable storage comprising: 
 a service registry module (SRM) configured to store environmental configuration data for an application installed in the removable storage; and,    an SRM utility programmed to manage access to said SRM for said installed application through access requests received in a coupled one of the host computing systems.    
     
     
         8 . The removable storage of  claim 7 , wherein the SRM utility is further programmed to write environmental configuration data to said SRM for a new application when said new application is installed in the removable storage.  
     
     
         9 . The removable storage of  claim 7 , wherein the SRM utility is further programmed to transfer environmental configuration data to said SRM for an application stored in said coupled one of the host computing systems when transferring said application to the removable storage.  
     
     
         10 . The removable storage of  claim 7 , wherein the SRM utility is further programmed to transfer environmental configuration data from said SRM to said coupled one of the host computing systems for an application stored in the removable storage coupled when transferring said application to said coupled one of the host computing systems.  
     
     
         11 . A machine readable storage having stored thereon a computer program for managing environmental configuration data for an application disposed in removable storage, the computer program comprising a routine set of instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform the steps of: 
 intercepting a request to access environmental configuration data disposed in a host computing system;    retrieving environmental configuration data disposed in the removable storage; and,    satisfying said request using both environmental configuration data disposed in said host computing system and said retrieved environmental configuration data disposed in the removable storage.    
     
     
         12 . The machine readable storage of  claim 11 , further comprising a routine set of instructions for further causing the machine to perform the steps of: 
 further intercepting a request to install an application to the removable storage;    yet further intercepting a request to write environmental configuration data to a registry in said host computing system in association with said further intercepted request; and,    causing the removable storage to write said environmental configuration data associated with said further intercepted request to a registry disposed in the removable storage.    
     
     
         13 . The machine readable storage of  claim 11 , further comprising a routine set of instructions for further causing the machine to perform the step of, responsive to coupling the removable storage device to said host computing system, retrieving environmental configuration data associated with applications disposed in the removable storage device and applying said retrieved environmental configuration data to a configuration of said host computing system.  
     
     
         14 . The machine readable storage of  claim 13 , further comprising a routine set of instructions for further causing the machine to perform the step of, responsive to decoupling the removable storage device to said host computing system, removing from said host computing system, environmental configuration data associated with applications disposed in the removable storage device and which had been applied to said configuration of said host computing system.  
     
     
         15 . The machine readable storage of  claim 11 , wherein said satisfying step comprises the step of including said retrieved environmental configuration data disposed in the removable storage in a registry lookup operation in said host computing system.  
     
     
         16 . The machine readable storage of  claim 11 , wherein said satisfying step comprises the step of writing changes to environmental configuration data associated with applications disposed in the removable storage to a registry disposed in the removable storage.